The Winter Sky Sect rose among peaks shrouded in perpetual mist, its towers of blue jade standing tall over chasms and frozen clouds. The air was thick with glacial Qi, refined by centuries of secluded cultivation.
Jiutian was received with respect, though also with caution. His identity could not be fully concealed, and his arrival with an unknown beast stirred quiet vigilance among the inner elders.
Yue Lan personally guided Jiutian to a secluded meditation room connected to the Hall of the Frozen Mirror, one of the most silent places within the sect. Xiao Huli slept on a padded mat, wrapped in a sheet of spiritual silk that shielded her from the cold —but not from the silent judgment that lingered through the corridors.
—I've ordered that no one disturb you —Yue Lan said, without looking directly at him—. But I won't be able to contain the disciples' curiosity for long.
—I'll do my best not to stir more rumors —Jiutian replied, sitting cross-legged beside Xiao Huli.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Her expression was serene, but something unspoken hung heavy in the air between them.
—What will you do when that creature fully awakens? —Yue Lan suddenly asked.
Jiutian met her gaze.
—Protect her.
—Even if it forces you to face the Celestial Realm?
—Yes.
A thick silence followed.
—Your heart has always been too impulsive —Yue Lan murmured—. But also… very loyal.
She said nothing more. She left the room, the soft sound of her steps fading into the frost.
Days passed slowly.
Jiutian remained in seclusion, meditating and strengthening his core. Each night, he renewed the protective arrays around Xiao Huli, who still had not fully awakened but was beginning to react: her tails twitched in her sleep, her Qi pulsed more intensely, and sometimes she made sounds that belonged to no animal known.
Yue Lan, though she avoided long visits, often watched silently from the shadows of the galleries.
One evening, Jiutian found a box of medicinal tea by the door. It was a refined blend, excellent for easing spiritual exhaustion. There was no note, but he knew who had left it.
Silent courtesy was Yue Lan's way of saying what she could not voice aloud.
One night, Xiao Huli awoke suddenly. She sat up clumsily, her eyes open, her pupils glowing with a silvery light. Her small legs trembled. She sniffed the air, then slowly walked toward Jiutian, who was meditating quietly.
She curled up beside him and rested her head on his lap.
He didn't move. He simply placed a hand on her back, feeling the familiar warmth that had once saved his life. The bond between them was growing —not like that of master and beast, but as an unexplainable connection between souls that didn't yet remember why they needed each other.
At dawn, Yue Lan appeared before him, holding a scroll sealed with an insignia he recognized immediately: a message from the Celestial Realm.
—They've tracked you —she said plainly—. My sect won't be able to shelter you much longer. You need to leave soon.
Jiutian took the scroll but didn't open it.
—Thank you for not betraying me.
Yue Lan's gaze was sharp, unwavering.
—I didn't do it for you —she said—. I did it for her.
And with those words, she walked away.
Jiutian looked down at Xiao Huli, who watched him with eyes that looked more and more human, though she didn't yet realize it.
Soon, they would have to leave.And when they did… the outside world would no longer be kind.